Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also referred to as drones, are small aircraft that are able to take off, fly, and land without a human pilot onboard. The flight of a drone is controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle.
Recent advances in drone technology has brought forth the promise of drone-based automatic package delivery systems. For example, the online merchant AMAZON (www.amazon.com) has recently announced a service that it intends to commercialize referred to as PRIME AIR. According to AMAZON, its planned PRIME AIR service would enable drones to deliver small packages (e.g. less than five pounds) to a destination within about 20 km (12 miles) from local AMAZON fulfillment centers. AMAZON claims an intention to provide such personal delivery within 30 minutes of a customer's order.
A large problem in providing such a drone-based delivery system is of course the management of drone traffic, in particular as the number of drones employed increases. Since it is desired to be able to automate the delivery, it is envisioned that humans will have little or no interaction with the drone as it makes its way to and from its destination. Without appropriate traffic management in place, accidents between drones and structures, people, animals, and other drones will likely proliferate. This is of particular concern to governmental entities that control airspace such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).